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Third album from Australian rock & roll balladeer, recorded at Melbourne's Sing Sing studio with Elvis Costello's longtime band The Imposters: Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, and Davey Faragher.

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"One of the finest, most inspired Australian rock albums in quite some time. The work of a man well on top of his game" - RHYTHMS MAGAZINE
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"Stunning and raw... A writer in a creatively thriving period of his career." - THE AU REVIEW

"Heath Cullen has it right. If you're going to hire the Imposters, Elvis Costello's longest running backing crew, give them meat on which to feast and give them room. They land everything perfectly" - BERNARD ZUEL, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

"This album really hums. I advise outsiders to Cullen to open the door and let him romance you. FOUR STARS" - THE CANBERRA TIMES

"Authentic... Engaging... Heartfelt... Seductive... Cullen mines a well where names such as Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits float to the surface." - WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

"Gorgeously raw" - PHILIP WHITE, DRINKSTER

"Feels like it is drifting from the doorway of a bar, circa 3am. In black and white. FOUR STARS" - THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

"He's an incredible songwriter & lyricist. OUTSIDERS is high up on our 'Album of the Year' list here at Basement Discs. The album is a cracker." - THE BASEMENT DISCS, MELBOURNE AUS

"This is surely the disc which will finally break Heath Cullen in Australia, and the hearts of women everywhere. In twenty years time … we’ll be wanting to hear albums like "Outsiders", so we can listen, dance, moan, recall lost possibilities and fuck until our heart gives out. FIVE STARS" - i94bar

credits

Produced by Heath Cullen. Engineered & recorded by Mick Wordley at Sing Sing, Melbourne Victoria, and by Heath Cullen at Outside In Studios, Candelo New South Wales. Studio assistance at Sing Sing by Aaron Dobos. Mixed by Heath Cullen at Outside In Studios. Mastered by Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles CA. Pedal steel on 'One For The Road' by Matt Dixon. Additional claps on 'Two Left Feet' by Laura Jackson.

Cover photo "Probably James Dunlop, wheelwright, and employees outside his workshop next to Newman's store, Lucknow" by the American & Australasian Photographic Company, from the Holtermann collection, courtesy State Library of New South Wales. call no ON 4 Box 1 No 166. Graphic design by Heath Cullen.

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ANOTHER BLUE WORLD - the devil broke the bread and said 'my friend, don't call me a liar' / the sky was as red as a bible on fire / he said 'you think you’ve not a worry, you’re at one with all your kind / but wherever you wheel your wagon / wolves walk behind' / are there other worlds like this one, rolling ‘round a lucky sun? is there another blue world out there or is ours the only one? i was born and came of age here / it’s likely where i’ll die / out here where the bus don’t run no more there’s no rain left in the sky, but if you climb the water tower you can still see clear to town / see the trucks out on the highway and a thousand miles of brown / are there other races just like this where there’s nowhere to run? do you think we’ll get another chance or is this the only one? if everything you ever dreamed of tells some truth about your soul, is there such a thing as lucky when the numbers roll? they say the longest at the fire is the first to feel the cold / is the hand that you are dealt the hand that you were meant to hold? are there other worlds like this one so in love with a hellish sun? is there another blue world out there or is ours the only one? are there other races just like this where there’s nowhere to run? do you think we’ll get another chance or is this the only one?

Track Name: Two Left Feet

TWO LEFT FEET - well i’ll sing you a little song, short and sweet / straight faced johnny had two left feet / he went to the dance, picked out a girl / pretty red dress, hair all curled / she stepped up, she got down / little did he know she was the fastest in the town / she danced high, she danced low / straight faced johnny had nowhere to go / she danced the mashed potato, boogaloo too / straight faced johnny didn’t know what to do / she kept dancin', he just stood / planted like a tree in the piney wood / the band was bangin’ a mambo beat / straight faced johnny had two left feet / they played ’til dawn, they cleared the floor / all except johnny and the girl next door / him still standin’, she goin’ strong / dancin’ to the rhythm of a conga drum / the band packed up, the band went home johnny and the girl was left all alone / she danced off, he turned in / johnny never saw the girl again / but johnny kept thinkin’ about what he saw / pretty red dress burnin’ up the floor / now he’s out dancin’ every saturday night / one foot left, one foot right

Track Name: Who'll Ring The Bell

WHO’LL RING THE BELL - y’all know this story, y think you know it well / goin’ up to heaven in a little pea shell / but what ever happened to that poor little pea? think about that when you shake sugaree / who’ll rock the cradle, who’ll sing the song, who’ll teach the children in a world goin’ wrong? / every tune’s been whistled / every word’s been said / you put your money on the black and it landed on the red / it was here when we started / it’ll be here when we’re gone / the singer is never as old as the song / who’ll rock the cradle? who’ll ring the bell? strange things are happenin’ but it’s hard to tell / everything i got is done and pawned / every friend i ever had, they’re gone / delia’s in the graveyard, curtis in the gaol / all he said was ask my ma to forward me my mail / judge said to curtis: 'you got ninety nine' / curtis said: 'i’ve got all the time in the world judge, i don’t mind' / who’ll rock the cradle? who’ll ring the bell? strange things are happenin’ but it’s hard to tell / who’ll rock the cradle, who’ll sing the song, who’ll teach the children in a world goin’ wrong?

Track Name: The Stranger

THE STRANGER - the sun came up, the sun went down / the moon came up over a lonesome town / shinin’ down through the trees / leaves fallin’ in the southern breeze / hear the rattlin’ of the rails / hear the clangin’ of the crossing bells / flying foxes on the wing / the sweet silent life of everything / the river cuts this town in two / and all around here there are pieces of you / wander down past the tracks / dogs barkin’ by the little shacks / feel the heartbeat of this night / silhouettes inside the window lights / mama calling to her little ones / 'come inside now, supper’s done' / heavy feelings in yr heart / heavy feelings can tear lives apart / the river cuts this town in two / and all around here there are pieces of you / rice and beans / your coffee black / you left one time before but that time you came back / the river cuts this town in two / and all around here there are pieces of you

Track Name: Outsiders

OUTSIDERS (for Bert & John)

Track Name: One For The Road

ONE FOR THE ROAD (the stranger part II) - another cheap hotel / just like the last one / and it’s the same picture bolted to the wall / but every room holds its own dreams / every place has got its ghosts out in the hall / take my hand, was i just dreaming? was i dreaming? was i? / everything has its place, you know what i mean / and what stays with you is what you leave behind in all the places that you've been / take my hand, was i just dreaming? was i dreaming? the oddest hours / coffee to go / you’re asleep at the table again / but you live the life you know / now it’s dark outside / it’s as cold as mars / and it’s security, baggage check and airport bars / take me home / was i just dreaming? was i dreaming? where was i?

Track Name: 2:28

2:28 - the train pulled up to the station / the 2:19 was runnin’ late / by the time my baby rolled away it was 2:28 / the way that i was feelin’ there ain’t no words can say / “people just don’t understand” i heard ol’ Muddy Waters say / well she stepped on board ooo-eee said the train / i stepped back, the sun was shinin’ through the rain / singin’ roll on, mean train, roll on / crost the freight yard and past the lights / i watched that carriage rollin’ ’til i knew she was outta sight / roll on, mean train, roll on / oh i was a fool and you were a dangerous thing / and it would be so cool if i never saw you again / roll on, mean train, roll on